Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montreal and Kelowna

For one person, living is cheaper in Montreal: $2,064 a month against $2,385 in Kelowna, rent and utilities included – about $3,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Montreal
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Montreal Living Index
114

Cost of Living Index in Kelowna
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Kelowna Living Index

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Montreal

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,064

/mo nomad

Kelowna

🇨🇦 Canada

$2,385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Montreal and in Kelowna

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Montreal and in Kelowna actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,064 in Montreal versus $2,385 in Kelowna.

Montreal $2,064
Kelowna $2,385

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,156 in Montreal versus $3,545 in Kelowna.

Montreal $3,156
Kelowna $3,545

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,247 in Montreal versus $4,706 in Kelowna.

Montreal $4,247
Kelowna $4,706

Living in Montreal costs roughly 13% less than in Kelowna, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montreal 52% above, Kelowna 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.98 CA$26.64

$16.69 CA$23.42

13.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.0 CA$102

$58.4 CA$82.0

24.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 CA$15.27

$11.50 CA$16.14

-5.39%

Cappuccino

$3.81 CA$5.35

$4.01 CA$5.62

-4.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 CA$2.72

$2.00 CA$2.80

-3.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.72 CA$2.41

-8.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.37 CA$8.94

$4.70 CA$6.60

35.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.26 CA$10.20

$5.59 CA$7.84

29.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CA$3.13

$2.04 CA$2.87

9.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 CA$4.45

$2.82 CA$3.95

12.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 CA$4.64

$3.59 CA$5.04

-7.80%

Eggs

$3.63 CA$5.09

$3.18 CA$4.46

14.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 CA$18.47

$9.66 CA$13.56

36.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.56 CA$16.22

$13.28 CA$18.64

-12.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.71 CA$19.25

$21.55 CA$30.24

-36.38%

Apples (1kg)

$3.29 CA$4.62

$3.57 CA$5.01

-7.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 CA$2.05

$1.49 CA$2.09

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 CA$4.73

$3.51 CA$4.93

-3.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 CA$4.42

$4.76 CA$6.68

-33.82%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 CA$2.65

$3.16 CA$4.43

-40.19%

Onion (1kg)

$1.79 CA$2.52

$3.13 CA$4.39

-42.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 CA$3.47

$2.57 CA$3.60

-3.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.58 CA$2.22

$1.98 CA$2.78

-20.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 CA$15.84

$14.37 CA$20.17

-21.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.49 CA$14.73

$13.81 CA$19.39

-24.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.34 CA$3.28

$2.54 CA$3.56

-7.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 CA$4.09

$3.13 CA$4.39

-7.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.61 CA$3.66

$2.18 CA$3.06

19.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$79.1 CA$111

$49.68 CA$69.7

59.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.26 CA$4.57

$2.77 CA$3.89

17.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 CA$2.02

$1.81 CA$2.54

-20.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.43 CA$46.92

$34.45 CA$48.35

-2.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 CA$1.87

$1.24 CA$1.74

7.26%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.6K CA$40.2K

$28.4K CA$39.9K

0.65%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$21.1K CA$29.6K

0.08%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$80.1 CA$112

$128 CA$180

-37.57%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.30 CA$48.14

$44.58 CA$62.6

-23.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.85 CA$60.1

$58.4 CA$82.0

-26.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.14 CA$43.71

$56.3 CA$78.9

-44.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.41 CA$27.24

$30.66 CA$43.03

-36.69%

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 CA$15.76

$11.59 CA$16.27

-3.11%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$525 CA$737

$1,054 CA$1,479

-50.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K CA$22.9K

$16.6K CA$23.3K

-1.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.0 CA$81.4

$48.90 CA$68.6

18.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.11 CA$53.5

$41.53 CA$58.3

-8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.4 CA$131

$84.9 CA$119

10.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 CA$155

$98.1 CA$138

12.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,285 CA$1,803

$1,395 CA$1,958

-7.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$977 CA$1,371

$1,218 CA$1,710

-19.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,271 CA$3,187

$2,455 CA$3,446

-7.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 CA$2,336

$2,082 CA$2,921

-20.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,139 CA$7,212

$4,160 CA$5,838

23.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,834 CA$5,381

$3,129 CA$4,391

22.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,002 CA$4,213

$3,093 CA$4,341

-2.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.48

4.69

-4.48%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Montreal: October 25, 2026

Last update for Kelowna: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Montreal

$977 47.3%

Kelowna

$1.2K 51.1% 24.7% $242

Groceries & Markets

Montreal

$351 17%

Kelowna

$397 16.6% 12.9% $45

Eating Out

Montreal

$291 14.1%

Kelowna

$266 11.1% 8.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montreal

$157 7.6%

Kelowna

$231 9.7% 47.1% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Montreal

$135 6.5%

Kelowna

$123 5.2% 8.8% $12

Getting Around

Montreal

$100 4.9%

Kelowna

$70 2.9% 29.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Montreal

$54 2.6%

Kelowna

$79 3.3% 48.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,285 in Montreal and $1,395 in Kelowna. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kelowna pays 3% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $73 in Montreal vs $58 in Kelowna. Groceries flip the comparison at $351 vs $397, with Montreal cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇦 Montreal

🇨🇦 Kelowna

🕒 Local time

18:58 6:58 PM

15:58 3:58 PM

3 h behind Montreal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,762,949

144,576

💱 Currency

Canadian Dollar CAD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

1 CAD = 0.713 USD

1 CAD = 0.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Montreal Kelowna 3,420 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

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Montreal
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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Montreal vs Kelowna: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Total monthly costs including rent come to $2,064 in Montreal and $2,385 in Kelowna, so Montreal is about 13% cheaper – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Montreal. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,285 in Montreal versus $1,395 in Kelowna. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,064 per month in Montreal versus $2,385 in Kelowna – Montreal is about 13% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Kelowna runs roughly 37% less than in Montreal. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Montreal is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Montreal and Kelowna are both considered safe, so it’s unlikely to be the deciding factor between them.

It comes down to priorities – Montreal wins on affordability, Kelowna on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.